The World Risk Index – An Approach to Assess Risk and Vulnerability on a Global Scale

2015 ◽  
Vol 02 (01) ◽  
pp. 1550003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torsten Welle ◽  
Joern Birkmann
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Coping Capacity ◽  
Physical Hazards ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Reliability Sensitivity ◽  
Gis System ◽  
Sensitivity And Uncertainty Analysis

The demand for information and understanding on natural hazard related risk on a global scale has grown in recent years. Such information is crucial for stakeholders who are working in the field of disaster risk reduction, spatial planning and (re-)insurance. This article provides a new approach to assess risk and vulnerability towards natural hazards on country scale and allows the comparison of countries at global scale. The concept of the WorldRiskIndex focuses on the understanding of risk which is defined as the interaction of physical hazards and the vulnerability of exposed elements. The exposure to natural hazards was assessed by using five indicators that describe the expsoure of people towards earthquakes, cyclones, floods, droughts and sea level rise. Whereas vulnerability consists of susceptibility, coping capacity and adaptive capacity was calculated on the basis of 23 indicators which comprise social, economic and environmental conditions of a society. The method and the results of the WorldRiskIndex were validated by using statistical analysis such as reliability, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. The results of the WorldRiskIndex were mapped and classified by means of a GIS system to show different patterns of exposure, vulnerability and risk on global scale. The global perspective of risk clearly shows that the vulnerability of a society or a country is not the same as exposure to natural hazards.

scholarly journals Assessing global exposure and vulnerability towards natural hazards: the Disaster Risk Index

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1149-1159 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Peduzzi ◽  
H. Dao ◽  
C. Herold ◽  
F. Mouton
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Building Stone ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Human Vulnerability ◽  
Data Improvement

Abstract. This paper presents a model of factors influencing levels of human losses from natural hazards at the global scale, for the period 1980–2000. This model was designed for the United Nations Development Programme as a building stone of the Disaster Risk Index (DRI), which aims at monitoring the evolution of risk. Assessing what countries are most at risk requires considering various types of hazards, such as droughts, floods, cyclones and earthquakes. Before assessing risk, these four hazards were modelled using GIS and overlaid with a model of population distribution in order to extract human exposure. Human vulnerability was measured by crossing exposure with selected socio-economic parameters. The model evaluates to what extent observed past losses are related to population exposure and vulnerability. Results reveal that human vulnerability is mostly linked with country development level and environmental quality. A classification of countries is provided, as well as recommendations on data improvement for future use of the model.

The Impact of the Global, Extensible Electronic Health Record

2011 ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Forslund ◽  
David G. Kilman
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The World ◽  
Electronic Health ◽  
The Impact

With the arrival of the “World Wide Web,” we have witnessed a transition toward a truly global perspective with respect to electronic health records. In recent years, much more discussion has focused on the potential for international virtual electronic health records and what is required for them to become a reality in the world today (Kilman & Forslund, 1997). As the Internet becomes more ubiquitous and Web-enabled, we see access to electronic health records using these technologies becoming more commonplace. Even so, these Web-enabled health records still remain technologically isolated from other medical records in the distributed continuum of care; much of the standardization challenge still stands before us. We have witnessed startling technological advances, but we still face considerable obstacles to the goal of having globally standardized electronic health records. In this chapter we describe some of the issues associated with Web-enabled health records, the role of standards in the evolution of Web-enabled health records, and some of the barriers to the development of globally accessible electronic health records. We discuss possible ways to overcome these barriers and the kinds of benefits and opportunities that global health records will help provide. The global scale perspective makes more evident the very real and potentially tragic consequences of prolonged and unnecessary delays in deploying these technologies. Therefore, in an effort to promote a fuller consciousness of health safety, the chapter concludes with a comparative look at the negative impact of impediments in the movement toward global extensible electronic health records.

scholarly journals Appraisal of SMAP Operational Soil Moisture Product from a Global Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swati Suman ◽  
Prashant K. Srivastava ◽  
George P. Petropoulos ◽  
Dharmendra K. Pandey ◽  
Peggy E. O’Neill
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
North America ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Product Evaluation ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Local Networks ◽  
Independent Verification ◽  
Wide Range

Space-borne soil moisture (SM) satellite products such as those available from Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) offer unique opportunities for global and frequent monitoring of SM and also to understand its spatiotemporal variability. The present study investigates the performance of the SMAP L4 SM product at selected experimental sites across four continents, namely North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. This product provides global scale SM estimates at 9 km × 9 km spatial resolution at daily intervals. For the product evaluation, co-orbital in situ SM measurements were used, acquired at 14 test sites in North America, Europe, and Australia belonging to the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) and local networks in India. The satellite SM estimates of up to 0–5 cm soil layer were compared against collocated ground measurements using a series of statistical scores. Overall, the best performance of the SMAP product was found in North America (RMSE = 0.05 m3/m3) followed by Australia (RMSE = 0.08 m3/m3), Asia (RMSE = 0.09 m3/m3) and Europe (RMSE = 0.14 m3/m3). Our findings provide important insights into the spatiotemporal variability of the specific operational SM product in different ecosystems and environments. This study also furnishes an independent verification of this global product, which is of international interest given its suitability for a wide range of practical and research applications.

scholarly journals Global-scale drought risk assessment for agricultural systems

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Meza ◽  
Stefan Siebert ◽  
Petra Döll ◽  
Jürgen Kusche ◽  
Claudia Herbert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Drought Indices ◽  
Drought Risk ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Coping Capacity ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Hazard Exposure ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Droughts continue to affect ecosystems, communities, and entire economies. Agriculture bears much of the impact, and in many countries it is the most heavily affected sector. Over the past decades, efforts have been made to assess drought risk at different spatial scales. Here, we present for the first time an integrated assessment of drought risk for both irrigated and rain-fed agricultural systems at the global scale. Composite hazard indicators were calculated for irrigated and rain-fed systems separately using different drought indices based on historical climate conditions (1980–2016). Exposure was analyzed for irrigated and non-irrigated crops. Vulnerability was assessed through a social-ecological systems perspective, using social-ecological susceptibility and lack of coping capacity indicators that were weighted by drought experts from around the world. The analysis shows that drought risk of rain-fed and irrigated agricultural systems displays heterogeneous pattern at the global level with higher risk for southeastern Europe, as well as northern and southern Africa. By providing information on the drivers and spatial patterns of drought risk in all dimensions of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, the presented analysis can support the identification of tailored measures to reduce drought risk and increase the resilience of agricultural systems.

scholarly journals Incidence and risk factors of surgical site infection following colorectal surgery in China: a national cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xufei Zhang ◽  
Zhiwei Wang ◽  
Jun Chen ◽  
Peige Wang ◽  
Suming Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Colorectal Surgery ◽  
Surgical Site Infection ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Site Infection ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Expenses ◽  
Related Risk

Abstract Purposes Surgical site infection (SSI) after colorectal surgery is a frequent complication associated with the increase in morbidity, medical expenses, and mortality. To date, there is no nationwide large-scale database of SSI after colorectal surgery in China. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of SSI after colorectal surgery in China and to further evaluate the related risk factors. Methods Two multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional studies covering 55 hospitals in China and enrolling adult patients undergoing colorectal surgery were conducted from May 1 to June 30 of 2018 and the same time of 2019. The demographic and perioperative characteristics were collected, and the main outcome was SSI within postoperative 30 days. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to predict risk factors of SSI after colorectal surgery. Results In total, 1046 patients were enrolled and SSI occurred in 74 patients (7.1%). In the multivariate analysis with adjustments, significant factors associated with SSI were the prior diagnosis of hypertension (OR, 1.903; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.088–3.327, P = 0.025), national nosocomial infection surveillance risk index score of 2 or 3 (OR, 3.840; 95% CI, 1.926–7.658, P < 0.001), laparoscopic or robotic surgery (OR, 0.363; 95% CI, 0.200–0.659, P < 0.001), and adhesive incise drapes (OR, 0.400; 95% CI, 0.187–0.855, P = 0.018). In addition, SSI group had remarkably increased length of postoperative stays (median, 15.0 d versus 9.0d, P < 0.001), medical expenses (median, 74,620 yuan versus 57,827 yuan, P < 0.001), and the mortality (4.1% versus 0.3%, P = 0.006), compared with those of non-SSI group. Conclusion This study provides the newest data of SSI after colorectal surgery in China and finds some predictors of SSI. The data presented in our study can be a tool to develop optimal preventive measures and improve surgical quality in China.

Enhancing Sport Management Education with International Dimensions Including Language and Cultural Training

1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Pike Masteralexis ◽  
Mark A. McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Sport Management ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Business Economics ◽  
Cultural Training ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
International Sport ◽  
Economics And Politics

This article presents the results of a pilot study that found significant differences between U.S. and non-U.S. based international sport managers with regard to the educational background, language, and cultural training deemed essential for success in the global sports market. Educational and executive training programs in sport management should recognize sport's movement into a global market and consider providing students in their programs with the competency to compete for positions in sport on a global scale. To do so, sport management programs should offer a global perspective, which encompasses education for recognizing and avoiding potential barriers to effectively conducting sport business in societies where differences exist in language, culture, business, economics, and politics.

scholarly journals Delta Deposits on Mars: A Global Perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara De Toffoli ◽  
Ana-Catalina Plesa ◽  
Ernst Hauber ◽  
Doris Breuer
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Channel Length ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Martian Surface ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Complete Mapping ◽  
Level Elevation ◽  
Global Sea Level

&lt;p&gt;The presence of delta deposits on Mars has been thoroughly demonstrated for decades and large scale mapping [1,2] highlighted the presence of several delta fans mainly located on the dichotomy boundary. While a previous delta inventory was compiled by Morgan et al. [3], we aim to update and finalize a complete mapping of delta deposits in order to allow the examination of the evolution and distribution of standing bodies of water on Mars. The objective of our project focuses on the production of a global catalogue of water-related features at the Martian surface, which are commonly studied separately or at smaller scales.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Globally, we located around 150 deltas among which many were not previously included in published literature [e.g. 1,2,4]. We then examined the deltas based on two main traits. Firstly, we measured the length of the feeding channels since it may be (i) a proxy for the duration of the aqueous activity in the channel-delta system, and (ii) proportional to the age of the delta [2]. The latter relationship links older deltas near Chryse Planitia (&gt;3 Ga) to longer valleys, while younger deltas are usually fed by shorter valleys [2]. Secondly, we measured the elevation of the delta population and compared the obtained dataset with the hypothesized sea level elevation of -2540 &amp;#177; 177 m firstly suggested by Di Achille and Hynek [1] for a northern ocean through the analysis of deltas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We observed that, if the relationship between feeding channel length and delta age found for a sub-group of the population [2] is applicable as a rule of thumb to all deltas, many of the deposits have the potential to be Hesperian or Amazonian in age. They would thus be younger than the ocean that might have occupied the northern lowlands during the Noachian-Hesperian boundary period [1] and thus be unrelated to a global sea level range. In fact, less than half of the delta population is related to medium/long feeding channels (&gt;30 km). Abundant pristine morphologies, both related to channels and deltas, also supports the hypothesis that part of the population is younger than Noachian. Additionally, the large variety of elevations where the deltaic deposits can be found and the very small amount of deltas included in the sea level elevation range proposed by Di Achille and Hynek [1] raise questions about the generation and environmental implications of these features, especially when seen at global scale.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] Di Achille, G. &amp; Hynek, B. M., Nat. Geosci. 3, 459&amp;#8211;463 (2010).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[2] Hauber, E. et al., J. Geophys. Res. E Planets 118, 1529&amp;#8211;1544 (2013).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[3] Morgan, A. M., et al., Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf. (2018).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[4] Ori, G.G. et al., J. Geophys. Res. E Planets 105, 17629&amp;#8211;17641 (2000).&lt;/p&gt;

Earth Observation Techniques for Spatial Disaggregation of Exposure Data 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Geiß ◽  
Patrick Aravena Pelizari ◽  
Peter Priesmeier ◽  
Angélica Rocio Soto Calderon ◽  
Elisabeth Schoepfer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Earth Observation ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Exposure Data ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Spatial Disaggregation ◽  
Loss Estimations

&lt;p&gt;Exposure describes elements which are imperiled by natural hazards and susceptible to damage. The affiliated vulnerability characterizes the likelihood to experience damage regarding a given level of hazard intensity. Frequently, the compilation of exposure information is the costliest component (in terms of time and labor) in risk assessment. Existing data sets and models often describe exposure in an aggregated manner, e.g., by relying on statistical/census data for given administrative entities. Nowadays, earth observation techniques allow to collect spatially continuous information for large geographic areas while enabling a high geometric and temporal resolution. In parallel, modern data interpretation tools based on Artificial Intelligence concepts enable the extraction of thematic information from such data with a high accuracy and detail. Consequently, we exploit measurements from the earth observation missions TanDEM-X and Sentinel-2, which collect data on a global scale, to characterize the built environment in terms of fundamental morphologic properties, namely built-up density and height. Subsequently, we use this information to constrain existing exposure data in a spatial disaggregation approach. Thereby, we compare different methods for disaggregation and evaluate how different resolution properties of the earth observation data affect the risk assessment result. Results are presented for the city of Santiago de Chile, Chile, which is prone to natural hazards such as earthquakes. We present loss estimations and corresponding sensivity with respect to the resolution properties of the exposure data used in the model. Thereby, it can be noted how loss estimations vary substantially and that aggregated exposure information underestimates losses in our scenarios. As such, this study underlines the benefits of deploying modern earth observation technologies for refined exposure estimation and related loss estimation.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Workshop: Impact of nutrition on non-communicable chronic diseases: a global perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Global Health Research ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) represent a public health issue due to their profound impact on population health. Major NCDs risk factors, including obesity, hypertension and diabetes, represent a threat of gigantic proportion, while intervention to prevent NCDs remains of paramount importance in order to decrease their burden over the next decades. Among others, quality of diets has changed substantially and a global shift to unhealthy diet high in calories and highly processed foods mainly due to the rapid urbanisation, increasing incomes, and inadequate accessibility of nutritious foods has been observed. As the burden of NCDs across the worlds remains unacceptably high, the international policy framework should aim to develop evidence-based policy approaches to reduce such burden globally. In this context, the EUPHA Sections on Food and Nutrition and on Chronic Diseases aim to propose a joint workshop to provide the latest updates from leading scientists and experts involved in global health research, with a special focus on NCDs and nutrition-related risk factors. The objectives of the present workshop are the following: To quantify the burden and temporal trends of non-communicable chronic diseases risk factors (such as obesity, elevated blood pressure and diabetes) all around the globe, with a focus on European countries; To assess the impact of nutrition-related risk factors on non-communicable chronic diseases; To explore socio-economic and cultural correlates to dietary changes in developed and developing countries; To discuss the usage of instruments aimed to identify best practices in food policies to prevent junk food consumption. Organizing the present workshop would provide an important occasion for gathering experts in the field and sharing opinions with the audience in light of the presented results. All publication discussed have been published recently, others are ongoing projects, thus providing a unique opportunity to discuss about potential advocacy activities and policy approaches in the context of a EUPHA conference. Key messages The workshop will provide insights on the current burden of NCDs risk factors. The workshop will focus on dietary risk factors, their socio-economic determinants, and strategies to implement a healthy and sustainable diet globally.

scholarly journals Hydrological and Hydro-Meteorological Extremes and Related Risk and Uncertainty

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 377
Author(s):  
Athanasios Loukas ◽  
Luis Garrote ◽  
Lampros Vasiliades
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Risk And Uncertainty ◽  
Related Risk

Natural hazards have caused significant damages to natural and manmade environments during the last few decades [...]

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